Families United 4 Justice Network Gathering

A call to families affected by police violence

Families United 4 Justice is a growing frontline collective of families affected by police violence. Our network gathering is a call to all families affected by police violence and their trusted supporters to assemble, share skills, network and create a tangible and collective vision of justice and reparations. Families and supporters will participate in activities guided by a variety of activists, family advocates and veteran family member activists. We will cover themes such as strategizing for collective justice, organizing and archiving content of our individual narratives and cases, running effective social media campaigns, supporting other families in need, sourcing support from existing community structures, and integrating sustainable self-care routines. Participants will walk away with a larger network of families and supporters, concrete next steps for their individual situations and collective vision, constructive organizing toolkits and a deeper analysis of the anti-police brutality movement. This network gathering is open to individuals who have been directly impacted by police violence and their trusted supporters. Please submit an application here.

Call for Participation

We are calling for families affected by police violence, that is, individuals who have lost loved ones during a police-related encounter, and their trusted supporters. Supporters will have to be vouched for by family members. We are also calling for advocates who already work with the families or who are interested in doing so, including health, mental health and alternative healing professionals, public health administrators, trauma workers, legal services providers, educators and community organizers.

During this network gathering we will address the following questions:

What happens when your loved one is killed by the police?

What can the anti-police brutality movement learn from families affected by police violence?

What can we learn from family members who have become veteran activists in the anti-police brutality movement?

How can families affected by police violence build collective power locally and globally?

How can communities assess the traumas experienced by families affected by police violence to better inform how we may better respond to future incidents?

How can we strategically source local resources to support families affected by police violence?

How can public health institutions specifically service families affected by police violence?

What self-care practices can family members learn to address the short and long-term trauma they experience?

What can we learn from the history of police brutality? And what do we still have to learn about this history?

What is the meaning of justice to families affected by police violence?

How can artists and media makers best support families in their struggle towards justice?

In addition to attending our network gathering, we are encouraging participants to propose presentations and workshops to Allied Media Conference tracks and practice spaces.